Letter 148: Even the ability to bewail their own calamities brings much comfort to the distressed; and this is specially the case when they meet with others capable, from their lofty character, of sympathizing with their sorrows. So my right honourable brother Maximus, after being prefect of my country, and then suffering what no other man ever yet suffered...

To Trajan, When people are suffering, it helps just to have someone listen — especially someone with the standing and character to actually care. That's why my brother Maximus has come to me. Here's his situation: Maximus served as governor of our province [Cappadocia, in modern central Turkey], and since then he's endured a cascade of misfortunes worse than anything I've seen. He's been stripped of everything — his family inheritance and everything he earned himself. His health has broken down in multiple ways. He's been forced to wander from place to place. He's even had his civil rights challenged, the very thing free citizens will fight hardest to protect. He's poured all of this out to me and asked me to write you a brief account of his troubles. Since I can't help him any other way, I'm happy to do at least this much. Maximus himself seemed embarrassed to lay out his own story plainly. But the facts speak for themselves: whoever did this to him is a scoundrel, and Maximus deserves compassion. When someone is struck by misfortune after misfortune, it starts to feel like fate itself has singled them out. All he really needs from you is your kind attention — that well of generosity you're known for, which never seems to run dry. We're all confident that your support before the tribunal would go a long way toward a just outcome. The man who asked me for this letter is one of the most honest people I know. I hope to see him soon, joining everyone else in singing your praises — and meaning every word.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Trajan. Even the ability to bewail their own calamities brings much comfort to the distressed; and this is specially the case when they meet with others capable, from their lofty character, of sympathizing with their sorrows. So my right honourable brother Maximus, after being prefect of my country, and then suffering what no other man ever yet suffered, stripped of all his belongings both inherited from his forefathers and collected by his own labours, afflicted in body in many and various ways, by his wanderings up and down the world, and not having been able to keep even his civil status free from attack, to preserve which freemen are wont to leave no labour undone, has made many complaints to me about all that has happened to him, and has begged me to give you a short description of the Iliad of woes in which he is involved. And I, being quite unable to relieve him in any other way in his troubles, have readily done him the favour shortly to relate to your excellency a part of what I have heard from him. He, indeed, seemed to me to blush at the idea of making a plain tale of his own calamity. If what has happened shows that the inflicter of the wrong is a villain, at all events it proves the sufferer to be deserving of great pity; since the very fact of having fallen into troubles inflicted by Divine Providence, seems in a manner to show that a man has been devoted to suffering. But it would be a sufficient comfort to him if you will only look at him kindly, and extend also to him that abundant favour which all the recipients of it cannot exhaust — I mean your clemency. We are all of us convinced that before the tribunal your protection will be an immense step towards victory. He who has asked for my letter as likely to be of service is of all men most upright. May it be granted me to see him, with the rest, proclaiming aloud the praises of your lordship with all his power.

[Πρός: Τραϊανῷ] Πολλὴν φέρει τοῖς καταπονουμένοις παραμυθίαν καὶ τὸ ἔχειν ἀποδύρασθαι τὰς ἑαυτῶν συμφοράς, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιτύχωσι δυναμένων ἐκ τῆς τοῦ τρόπου καλοκἀγαθίας συμπαθῆσαι τοῖς ἀλγεινοῖς. ὅθεν καὶ ὁ αἰδεσιμώτατος ἀδελφὸς Μάξιμος, ὁ τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν ἡγησάμενος, παθὼν οἷα οὐδέπω τις ἀνθρώπων ἕτερος, καὶ πάντων μὲν γυμνωθεὶς τῶν προσόντων, ὅσα τε ἦν αὐτῷ πατρῷα καὶ ὅσα ἐκ προτέρων πόνων ὑπῆρχε συνειλεγμένα, κακοπαθήσας δὲ τῷ σώματι μυρία ταῖς ἄνω καὶ κάτω πλάναις, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπιτιμίαν ἀνεπηρέαστον διασώσας, ἧς ἕνεκα πάντα πονεῖν τοῖς ἐλευθέροις σύνηθες, πολλὰ μὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν συμβάντων αὐτῷ ἀπωλοφύρατο, ἠξίωσε δὲ δι’ ἡμῶν ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ φανερὰν γενέσθαι σοι τὴν περιστᾶσαν αὐτῷ τῶν κακῶν Ἰλιάδα. κἀγώ, ἐπειδὴ ἄλλως οὐδὲν ἀφελεῖν αὐτοῦ τῶν δεινῶν ἠδυνήθην, ἑτοίμως ταύτην ἔδωκα τὴν χάριν· τὸ ὀλίγα ἐκ πολλῶν ὧν ἤκουσα παρʼ αὐτοῦ διαγγεῖλαι τῇ κοσμιότητί σου, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἐρυθριᾷν μοι ἐδόκει τὰς ἑαυτοῦ συμφορὰς ἐναργῶς διηγήσασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ οὐ πονηρὸν τὸν ἠδικηκότα συνίστησι τὰ γενόμενα, ἀλλʼ οὖν γε τὸν πεπονθότα τῆς ἐλεεινοτάτης ὄντα μερίδος δείκνυσιν, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸ τὸ περιπεσεῖν τοῖς θεηλάτοις κακοῖς ἀπόδειξίν πως ἔχειν δοκεῖ τοῦ παραδεδόσθαι τοῖς πάθεσιν. ἀλλʼ ἀρκεῖ αὐτῷ πρὸς παραμυθίαν τῶν συμβάντων τὸ εὐμενεῖ αὐτὸν προσβλέψαι τῷ ὄμματί σε καὶ τὴν πολυαρκῆ χάριν, ἧς πάντες ἀπολαύοντες δαπανᾷν οὐ δύνανται, τὴν τῆς σῆς ἡμερότητος λέγω, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀφεθῆναι. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐν δικαστηρίοις μεγάλη αὐτῷ ἀφορμὴ πρὸς τὴν νίκην ἡ παρὰ σοῦ ῥοπή, πάντες ἀκριβῶς πεπείσμεθα. δικαιότατος δὲ πάντων καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος, ὁ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἡμῶν, ὥς τι ὄφελος αὐτῷ ἐσομένην, ἐπιζητήσας· ὃν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἴδοιμεν τῇ κατὰ δύναμιν αὐτοῦ φωνῇ τὴν σὴν εὐφημοῦντα σεμνότητα.